virgi

As I don't understand any other language besides, English, I'm thinking I'll just point at whatever's on the menu & hope for the best. But, does the total of the check (bill) include tips over there? And besides, good maids at the hotels, is there any personnel on trains (or anywhere else) that should be tipped? Yes, this is my first trip.
Also, I need a comfortable pair of walking shoes I'm wondering if I could get a better pair made for comfort over in either Amsterdam or Frankfurt. I'm only in Frankfurt one night before I go to Amsterdam and I can make due with the uncomfortable supposidely comfortable pair I bought here. Any suggestions, thanks.

traveller1959

In Frankfurt and Amsterdam, probably everyone will speak enough English to explain the menu.

Tipping is NOT requested in Europe, but if you pay cash you usually round up. 5% is a rule of thump for tips for waiters.

For maids in the hotel, you can leave 1 Euro per night.

Personnel on trains is NOT tipped.

If you want to buy shoes, go to a main shopping street or mall and look for shops that sell shoes.

Keep in mind that European shoes are more expensive than (Asian-made) American shoes, but are of much better quality too.

Christina

You can buy most European brand walking shoes in the US, anyway. Some people say they can be cheaper in Europe, but I haven't noticed that (like Rieker for Germany). Besides, you may have more time and a better choice at home -- at least to shop around a while. I wouldn't want to count on finding that one store with the perfect shoe in my size in a place I didn't know, with limited time.

I like Rieker and Ecco and Dansko, and they are easy to find in the US (but not cheap). I don't like Mephisto or Clarks or Josef Stiebel, but they are easy to find in the US, also, and some people do. I sort of like Naot, also. If I were you, I'd go to a good shoe store before my trip that carried walking shoes and imports.

The only personnel I've encountered on trains were conductors. Don't tip train personnel, but I suppose if you ran across some porter helping you with luggage outside the train, you should tip them. I've never seen that happen, but I suppose it's possible.

kja

Hi, virgi -
Personally, I would NEVER plan on using shoes for a trip that I had not fully broken in beforehand!
Hope that helps - and best wishes for a wonderful first trip!

suze

I would never want to spend the time shopping, buying, and then wearing brand new shoes in Europe. Shop a.s.a.p. and try them out wearing them for walking at home before your trip to be sure they're OK. Or take a couple pair of shoes you already own that are comfortable.

laartista

I wouldn't wear new shoes for walking a city either. BUT, Amsterdam has some awesome shoe stores. All 3 times I've been there I came home with a new pair of great boots. Both Dr. Adam's and Taft have some cool stuff.

hetismij

Many restaurants in Amsterdam will have English menus. Ask if they do, and if they don't ask if they can help with the Dutch one.
Tipping - in a restaurant we normally round the bill up to around the 10% area, basically make it a nice round figure without going overboard. Tips are usually pooled so that all the staff get their share. At cafes if we have only had a drink we either round up the bill again - but only to the next euro, or we leave a euro on the table. I have never tipped a chambermaid unless she has done aomething extra for me. They all get a living (minimum) wage here.
For walking shoes, if you must try and get some in Amsterdam have a look at either a ports shop like Perry sports or an outdoor shop like Bever for the best range of good walking shoes. If you want Clarks or Eccos or similar most shoe shope will stock them. Ecco have their own shops also. But as has already been stated it is not the ideal situation to be breaking shoes in whilst on holiday.

janisj

I sometimes buy shoes in Europe - but not to wear during the trip. I only use fully broken-in shoes. Nothing worse than wearing uncomfortable shoes.

&quot;<i>I can make due with the uncomfortable supposidely comfortable pair I bought here.</i>&quot; Sorry - but everyone's feet are different and comfortable to one person could be unwearable to someone else. Did you buy them w/o trying them on?? I'd keep looking - you will find a possibly bigger selection, and definitely less expensive options back home.

carylspall

&quot;Tipping is NOT requested in Europe, but if you pay cash you usually round up. 5% is a rule of thump for tips for waiters.&quot;

I have never got away without paying 10% in Europe unless it is on the bill as a service charge!

Christina

Regarding the last comment, I was going to say something about that, also, but didn't because even though that post referred to Europe as a whole, virgi only wanted to know about Amsterdam and Germany which I'm not up on and I was hoping traveller1959 knew specifically about those two countries. I was in Germany a couple years ago, and think the service was included there, but don't remember for sure.

Service is not included in the final tab in all European countries in restaurants, though. I have been in places where it was not.

I will give a tip in the terms of advice to virgi to not use the word tip if she means service charge, as they are not the same thing. By definition, a &quot;tip&quot; will not be included on a bill, as it's something beyond the bill.

ira

Hi V,

&gt;does the total of the check (bill) include tips over there? &lt;

NO. There is a difference between a service charge, which is included, and a tip.

An SC helps to pay the staff's salaries. A tip is something you give the server, for being especially good.

Do not add it to your CC amount. It will go to the owner. If you wish to tip, leave cash on the table.

In Germany, although the SC is included, tip 5-10%.

In The Netherlands, round up.

We generally leave 1E pd for the chambermaids.

I wouldn't go walking around Europe in new shoes.

Enjoy your visit.

quokka

In Germany, the service charge is ALWAYS included in the restaurant/caf&eacute;/pub/bar/etc. bill. Trained staff receive decent wages. In city pubs, though, the staff are often university students who work for smaller wages.
It's entirely up to you if you add a tip or leave it.
Of course, waiters and waitresses won't mind receiving a tip ;-) I usually round up in the 5-10% range. If the service or the food is absolute crap, I don't tip.

sunstar

As far as tipping goes. If I get good service, I do not think it is a culturally improper thing to do by rewarding the service with a decent gratuity.

I tip but I do not like to draw much attention to this tipping. If the meal is let's say 25 Swiss Francs ( I wish)LOL, but if it is 30 francs, I might give the person 30 francs and tell them to keep the change. I usually tip hotel maids about 3 francs a day. I am not sure if that is fair or unfair but that is what I tip.


Now playing:

Boz Scags: Somebody loan me a dime

Most menus have English translations. I can not even remember the last time I saw a menu in Europe that did not have an English version.

Michael

I paid for the meal in Berlin. I was with my cousin, a Berliner who works in the service industry. For a 72&euro; meal he suggested leaving 75&euro;. He probably would have suggested the same had the meal cost another euro.

MKE

Twice now, I've purchased Clarks shoes in Europe in an extra wide width that I can't seem to find in the States. They fit comfortably right out of the box, but generally, prudence would dictate that shoes should be well broken in before your trip.

Cowboy1968

You can tip the train driver a few Euros if he got you to your destination in time.. just kidding!

I think there must be a trillion threads now on tipping in Europe, and they all end with &quot;ahh, I just give 'em 20%&quot;. Maybe I should remember this when the topic is again how expensive Europe is ;-)

Tipping 5 SFR on a 25 SFR meal is quite excessive, and over-tipping is close to acting &quot;cultural improper&quot; in Switzerland, and -for example- Scandinavian countries.
Of course, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands are free countries: you can tip 100% if you want, or give your new shoes.

But I got the impression that it is an absolutely futile task trying to communicate what a tip means in Northern or Central Europe.

Eating out in Europe gets 15-20% cheaper if you don't tip more than rounding up!

altamiro

Tipping is a reward for exceptionally good service. If the service is not exceptionally good the service provider does not get tipped.
Easy?

virgi

Mk: I'll look for Clarks shoes, thanks.
Cowboy, understand that here in the States 20%-tip is practically required, so we don't want to go to Europe &amp; have MORE bad images of us by not leaving an adequate tip. Here the servers depend on tips, salaries are below min. wage. So when it's said, &quot;round out&quot;, that sounds like, for ex. the mealcharge is 23.40euros, so is .60 euros - the change, from 24.00euros, fair as the round-out amount?

hetismij

virgi I would make that either 25 euros. 60 cents is a tad mean. Even 1.60 is a bit mean but results in convenient change if you are paying cash.
If you are putting it on a card I'd maybe add a bit more, or pay the exact amount by card and leave a few euros on the table.

logos999

Buy your shoes at home, what you get in German department stores is of an extremely low quality and very expensive. The chinese imports you get the US ar far better and even a lot cheaper than in China itself. If you buy in Germany, you'll be disappointed!